Ball projecting and striking device



Feb. 4, 1964 s. WElNSTElN 3,120,387

BALL PROJECTING AND STRIKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 10 1962 United StatesPatent M BALL PRUJECTWG AND STRIKIPJG DEVICE Seymour Weinstein, NewYork, N.Y. (120 E. 19th St,

Brooklyn 26, N.Y.), assignor of twenty-five percent to Anthony Renyi andtwenty-five percent to Florindo Renyi, Leominster, Mass.

Filied Jan. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 165,337 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) Thisinvention relates generally to toys and more particularly to thoseadapted to project an object or material.

Toys in which parts are caused to move in an entertaining manner, but inwhich the movement is produced with very simple parts, are highlydesirable because they do not easily get out of order, and they may bemanufactured in large quantities at low cost, with a consequent widedistribution and use.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to providestructure of the class described having a minimum of parts.

Another object herein lies in the provision of projectile type toys inwhich the parts may be fabricated of low cost synthetic resins, ormaterials having similar physical characteristics, and which may beproduced by efficient manufacturing processes such as blow molding."

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views of each embodiment:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational vie-w, partly in section, of an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower portion ofFIGURE 1 with the collapsible pressure producing element in a compressedposition thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the invention in use.

In accordance with the invention, the toy construction, generallyindicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a body .12; apressure producing element 14; and a projectile 16.

The body 12 is hollow having an inner passage 17, and a dischargeopening 18 of predetermined size. The body on the external surfacethereof is of a size and shape to simulate a known baseball bat.

The pressure producing element 12. is also a hollow form, cylindrical incross section, and having an accordian pleated outer wall. The element12 is arranged and constructed so that it is adapted to be collapsed inan axial direction with respect to the device 10. The said outer wall 20is joined to the bottom wall 21, and the top wall 22, the latter havinga neck 23 which is connected to the lower end 24- of the body 12. 'Thecubic size of the ele ment 14 is sufficient in size to produce therequisite pneumatic pressure when the element 12 is compressed to expelthe projectile 16 with the desired velocity.

The projectile 16 is a sphere, preferably hollow, and is a simulation ofa baseball. The diameter of the projectile 16 is sufficient to have thesame engageable in a frictional manner within the discharge opening 18,where it forms a substantially air-tight seal.

While the body and the pressure producing element'may be separatelyfabricated and connected in a suitable manner at the neck 23, inaccordance with the invention, the body 12, and the pressure producingelement are blow molded of polyethylene in one piece. The wall thicknessof the wall 20 is reduced to produce greater flexi- Patented Feb. 4,1964 bility, so that the pleats or corrugations 25 offer littleresistance to the collapse of the pressure producing element, while atthe same time maintaining sufficient resiliency to assure their returnto their normal extended position when outside physical pressure isreleased.

In use, the ball or batting projectile 16 is placed in the dischargeopening 18 and pressed until a seal is obtained. Next the body 12 isgrasped at the lower end 24, and the bottom wall 21 is brought forciblyagainst some relatively stationary surface or object such as the playersknee. The element 14 is rapidly compressed until it is collapsed. Theair normally contained in the element 14 is forced into the innerpassage 17, and the elevated pressure produced, pneumatically drives theball in the desired direction. After the ball is in flight, the playermay take the bat and use it to strike the ball; It is to be noted thatsince the material of which the body is composed is slightly elastic andflexible, it can conform to the shape of the ball to get a good seal.This promotes maximum movement of the ball.

It may thus be see-n that I have disclosed novel toy construction inwhich a simple one piece bellows element which may be cast or blowmolded of synthetic resin or the like forms an easily actuated pressureproducing element, adapted to move fluid through a hollow toy body.

I Wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which thepresent invention relates.

I claim:

1. Toy construction, comprising: a body in the form of a hollow baseball bat having a lower end, an inner passage, and an upper dischargeopening of predetermined size; a collapsible pressure producing elementof hollow form having a top wall with a neck connected to the said lowerend of said body, an accordian pleated outer wall arranged andconstructed to be collapsed in an axial direction with respect to saidbody, and a bottom wall; and a projectile in the form of a sphericalbase ball, of a diameter suflicient to be engaged in a frictional mannerwithin said discharge opening, forming a substantially air-tight sealthereat; whereby when the bottom wall is brought forcibly against arelatively stationary surface, the pressure producing element is rapidlycompressed, air in said element being forced into said inner passage atelevated pressure, driving the projectile pneumatically in the desireddirection.

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1 in which the collapsible pressureproducing element is cylindrical in cross section.

3. Toy construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the body and thepressure producing element are composed of a single molding ofpolyethylene.

4. Toy construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the body and thepressure producing element are composed of a single molding ofpolyethylene, and in which the thickness of the outer wall of thepressure producing element is reduced with respect to the body element,so that pleats oifer little resistance to the collapse of the pressureproducing element, while at the same time maintaining sufiicientresiliency to assure their return to normal extended position Whenoutside physical pressure is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,975,779 Pope Mar. 21, 196.1 2,993,297 Bednar et -al July 25, 19613,022,779 Benkoe Feb. 27, 1962

1. TOY CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: A BODY IN THE FORM OF A HOLLOW BASEBALL BAT HAVING A LOWER END, AN INNER PASSAGE, AND AN UPPER DISCHARGEOPENING OF PREDETERMINED SIZE; A COLLAPSIBLE PRESSURE PRODUCING ELEMENTOF HOLLOW FORM HAVING A TOP WALL WITH A NECK CONNECTED TO THE SAID LOWEREND OF SAID BODY, AN ACCORDIAN PLEATED OUTER WALL ARRANGED ANDCONSTRUCTED TO BE COLLAPSED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAIDBODY, AND A BOTTOM WALL; AND A PROJECTILE IN THE FORM OF A SPHERICALBASE BALL, OF A DIAMETER SUFFICIENT TO BE ENGAGED IN A FRICTIONAL MANNERWITHIN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT SEALTHEREAT; WHEREBY WHEN THE BOTTOM WALL IS BROUGHT FORCIBLY AGAINST ARELATIVELY STATIONARY SURFACE, THE PRESSURE PRODUCING ELEMENT IS RAPIDLYCOMPRESSED, AIR IN SAID ELEMENT BEING FORCED INTO SAID INNER PASSAGE ATELEVATED PRESSURE, DRIVING THE PROJECTILE PNEUMATICALLY IN THE DESIREDDIRECTION.